A Brief Tribute to Legumes

A Brief Tribute to Legumes Exciting, quick and delicious recipes for both seasoned and new and aspiring bean enthusiasts! Bonnie Killip. APD. 2019. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] B. E. A. N. S. Beans have shouldered a bit of a bad reputation in some circles. They are often blamed as flatulent causing little pests and I suspect their intake took a further hit after being completely wiped from the popular paleo diet meaning that many of us have not got around to investigating or experimenting into their use and therefore never truly gained an appreciation of the beauty of beans. This mini tribute to legumes is a self-confessed and proud bean enthusiast’s contribution to sprucing up the bean life of others. From a light summer salad to a hearty winter soup beans have been there to not only get me through but to help me thrive and enjoy food and it is my dream that within these pages you will experience a new or renewed enthusiasm for the humble legume. There exist a vast variety of beans available to us and the possibilities of how to use each are virtually endless. In my opinion dried beans are up there in the top of the cupboard staples list. Beans are versatile, filling and add incredible flavour, colour, texture and nutrition to any meal and their uses are limited only by the imagination of the creator as they lend themselves well to both sweet and savoury mains and snacks. Beans are highly nutritious. They have great amounts of protein and fibre as well as many essential vitamins and minerals including iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, the B vitamins, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and copper. Therefore, you can see the potential value to your health of upping your intake. The trick is to not increase them too quickly or in huge quantiles to start off with as that same lovely fibre that they are so high in and which is so great for your health is also what is responsible for the excess gas production some people experience as the bacteria within their gut breakdown this fibre. If you experience any bloating or gas start small and build up because even a little bean addition will confer health benefits. In this short tribute to beans I share with you a few of my favourite recipes to open you up to the exciting world of beans and the magic they can add to your life. It is my intention that these bean recipes appeal to those who may not have extensive experience with beans, beyond baked beans, and because I want to break beans out of their strictly vegetarian or vegan confines many of these recipes are not exclusively vegetarian or vegan (although both options are available and most of all these recipes are adaptable to your tastes and preferences so all easily can be). I sincerely hope that you enjoy these recipes and expand and experiment with them and I would love to hear from you about your creations so please get in contact and give me your juicy, beany details. Until then happy, creating and eating joy! www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] B. E. A. N. S. Where to Purchase Beans You can find dried legumes and tins of beans in most shopping centres. If you are feeling adventurous and interested in finding some unusual beans, I suggest having a browse of your local health food or Asian stores as these can be great places to expose yourself to an expanded variety of legumes. It is also often cheaper to purchase beans in this way and you can purchase larger quantities than the small packages found in supermarkets. Look for fermented bean products such as tempeh and tofu in the cold foods section of your local supermarket. 3 Easy Steps to Cooking Beans Method: 1. Soak beans in room temperature water overnight. 2. Rinse and transfer to large pot with water to cover about 8cm above beans. 3. Bring to the boil and boil until beans are soft all the way through (cooking times vary depending on type of bean for example red lentils do not need to be soaked at all and cook in about 15minutes, cannellini, kidney, mixed, borlotti and black beans take approximately 20-30mins whereas chickpeas and soybeans can take 45mins or longer)* *Note: The key is to test the beans to see if they are soft all the way through because this is all the indication you need to know that they are ready and if you are truly in doubt check the cooking instructions on the packet! You also may need to add more water to keep the beans submerged as it can boil off during cooking. Storing Cooked Beans You can store fresh cooked beans in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to a week without any food safety problems A great way to ensure you always have beans on hand (other than by buying tinned beans of course which are a great option too!) is to cook beans in bulk and then freeze in portioned amounts that you can grab from the freezer to add to any meal. I tend to reuse takeaway containers to freeze mine in quantities of 2-4 cups as I know this is a good amount to serve either myself or two people for one meal. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] Mexican Chilli Beans (serves 2) Ingredients: • 2-4 cups cooked kidney beans • 200g beef mince (or 200g tofu cut into cubes) • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese (or vegan cheese) • 1 brown onion finely chopped • 4 large tomatoes chopped • 2 cloves garlic chopped • 2 shallots chopped (or ½ cup coriander) Method: 1. Heat olive oil in fry pan and fry onion and garlic until translucent. 2. Add beef mince (or tofu) and fry until browned. 3. Add tomatoes and cook until they’ve lost their texture (5- 10mins). 4. Add kidney beans and simmer for a further 5mins. 5. Serve with rice, steamed vegetables and cheese or as a topping for nachos with melted cheese, sour cream, shallots or coriander and guacamole. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] Salmon & Cannellini Bean Patties (Serves 4) Ingredients: • 1 tin (415g) salmon (tuna or mackerel) • 2 cup cooked cannellini beans • ¼ cup frozen peas • ½ cup breadcrumbs • 1 tsp salt • ¼ tsp pepper Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (except frozen peas) and blend until roughly combined. 2. Add peas and mix in using a wooden spoon. 3. Shape into patties of your size liking. 4. Pour extra breadcrumbs onto a plate and evenly coat outside of patties. 5. Fry in olive oil for 2-3mins on each side or until crispy and golden. 6. Serve with linguini pasta and pesto or roast sweet potato chips and aioli or as burger patties in fresh buns with beetroot, tomato sauce, cheese and lettuce. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] Easy Dahl (Serves 2) Ingredients: • 1 cup raw red lentils • 1 brown onion chopped • 2 cloves garlic chopped • 1 tsp salt • ½ tsp pepper • 1 tsp each of dried spices of your choice (for example pepper, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, asafoetida). Method: 1. Rinse lentils under cool running water then add to pot with 2 cups water and bring to boil. 2. Boil for 15-20 minutes until lentils are soft and then add 1 tsp salt or to taste and pepper. 3. Meanwhile fry onion and garlic in olive oil or ghee until translucent, add spices of your choice and fry off before adding to cooked lentils. 4. Serve with rice, vegetable curry, roti, paratha or naan, plain yoghurt and fried paneer (or haloumi) and a handful of roast cashews on top of each bowl. Note: I regularly make batches of dhal about 4-5 times larger than this recipe and freeze in spare takeaway containers in individual serving sizes (about 2 cups) that I can grab out of the freezer and heat for super quick weekday dinners. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] Vegetarian Gado Gado (serves 4) Ingredients: • 250g tempeh • 500g firm tofu • 4-8 eggs (1-2 eggs for each person) • 1 cup mung bean sprouts • ½ cup crushed peanuts • ½ cup peanut butter • 1 cup coconut cream • 1tbsp palm sugar (or honey) • 2tbsp soy sauce Optional: • Fried beef strips • Fried mushrooms Method: 1. Chop tempeh and tofu into strips or cubes and fry in olive oil until browned on each side. 2. Boil eggs 3-4 minutes for hard boiled, peel and slice in halves or quarters. 3. Combine peanut butter, coconut cream, palm sugar, soy sauce and pepper in a small saucepan and heat and stir to combine well and until palm sugar melts if using. 4. Mix with your choice of noodles or serve on a bed of rice with lightly steamed potato, carrot and snow peas. Arrange tempeh, tofu and eggs on top, ladle with gado gado sauce and sprinkle mung bean sprouts and crushed peanuts or roast cashews over. www.fuellingsuccess.com [email protected] Chicken & Black-Eyed Beans (serves 4) Ingredients: • 8 chicken drumsticks or thighs • 2 cups cooked black-eyed beans (or kidney beans) • ½ cup cherry tomatoes • 2 ears fresh corn cut off the cob • I brown onion • 2 cloves garlic • 2-4 cups chicken stock • 1 cup raw cous cous • ½ cup orange juice • ¼ cup sultanas • ½ cup slivered almonds (or whole) • ½ cup chopped packed mint (coriander or basil) • 1tsp salt • ¼ tsp black pepper Method for Chicken and black-eyed beans: 1. Heat olive oil in fry pan and brown chicken on all sides.

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